Amber: a Redwall Story
by D14M0NDHUNT3R
Summary: Amber trusts no one. When her Juska clan,Juskubel, has a battle and she can't take the bloodshed, Who can blame her for slipping away? When she ends up at Redwall being chased by the vermin who had once been her clanmates, who can blame her for sneaking into the Abbey? But what will the redwallers think of a rat in their midst, and a vermin horde at their gates?
1. prologue

Prologue

Elysia ran as hard as she could, but she had to acknowledge with dread that she would have to stop and fight sooner or later. She clutched the bundle she held in her arms a bit tighter. An unhappy squeak came from inside the bundle, making the female rat almost wish that she hadn't run away. _No,_ she thought. _No, I can't let her row up there. She would be forced to kill other creatures._ Acting quickly, Elysia leapt into the underbrush, her momentum sending her sprawling through the thorns and leaves beside the path. _I can hide her here._ She thought. _Then I can give myself up. It's the only way._

"I'm sorry, Amber. Just remember who you are. Remember me, and never give up to Marduk." Talking became harder with every word, so she left it at that.

 _Wait!_ Pleaded the voice inside her. _You can join another clan! You can both get out of this!_ Elysia half believed it, but pushed the idea out of her mind. She knew that her tattoos showed for all to see that she was Juska.

Hiding the ratbabe carefully Under a nearby tree, Elysia stepped out of the protective darkness of the wood, and into the half-light of the path. Into full view of the very beasts she had been running from. The silence almost hurt, but she heard the voice over it.

"Nobeast escapes the clan of Juskabel. You are no exception, rat."

Elysia lifted her tattooed head and stared with hate-laden eyes into the dark, emotionless eyes of Marduk Ubel.


	2. Chapter 1

**I have no clue what I'm doing but whatever… Meh. Enjoy the chapter!**

 **Also… I do not own Redwall or Juska (they belong/ed to Brian Jacques). I own most of the characters in this story though**

Amber: Chapter 1

Marduk Ubel sat in a tree near his camp, watching his horde. The clan of Juskubel was larger than any other two Juska clans combined. Marduk's great-great-grandfather had challenged Ruggan Bor of Juskabor for leadership of his clan and won. As he already owned a rather sizeable clan, his clan almost doubled in size. In addition, the three generations that had passed since then had been very fruitful, adding almost twoscore beasts to the horde. And so it was that Marduk was Chieftain of a fearsome group of just under one thousand beasts.

As Marduk scanned his horde's camp, he realized that a certain creature wasn't there. "Amber" he muttered "Where is that peaceful excuse for a hordebeast?"

Amber giggled as she sprinted through the forest. She had been stuck in the filthy camp of the Juskubel for weeks. She was always pestered by the other vermin, as they could see that she wasn't cruel and bloodthirsty like them. The Taggerung, a wearat called Jude, was the worst of these bullies as he was apparently 'better' than everyone else.

Amber mimicked him, saying in a babyish tone, I'm Jude, and I'm better than all of you!"

She snickered and almost ran into a tree, stopping inches from its rough, damp bark. Amber shot up the tree ads fast as any squirrel, and after a minute, came up through the canopy of the monstrous tree. She stood there for quite some time, watching the smoke curl up from the her clan's camp until a rough voice called to her from below.

"Oi! You! Git down 'ere! You 'ave work ta do!"

Amber shimmied out of the treetop and looked down. An ugly face leered up at her.

"Ugh, Gump, What are you doing here? I thought you were in the fishing group today!" she murmured.

"I was with the fishin' group, but so was you! Yous need ta git down 'ere an' do yer work! Chief's orders!" Gump announced importantly.

"Fine. Tell him I'm coming." Amber shimmied down the trunk of the tree and strode leisurely back to camp.

"Where've you been?" Marduk growled as Amber neared the camp. "You was due out fishing hours ago!"

"Sorry Chief," Amber sighed. "I was taking a break." She winced, because she knew that Marduk did not take kindly to insubordination.

"A break, huh? HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO ME THIS WAY!?" Marduk Screamed. All eyes were on them now. Marduk's voice became menacingly low. "I wondered whether it was a good idea to take you in all those years ago. I see now that it wasn't! You have proved yourself useless. Akan, tie her to a stake in the middle of the camp. She can stay there awhile.'

The orders were followed immediately, and soon, everything was back to normal except for a lone figure sitting in the open space at the middle of the camp, her paws tied behind her back.

Marduk paced in his tent, muttering to himself about plans and jobs and punishments. A fox poked her head into the tent, and being noticed by the ferret, was beckoned in. She nodded and sat in the middle of the tent, with her master across from her.

"Rei, my most trusted seer, what have you seen?" Marduk inquired. "I am in need of counseling."

"Master, I have seen nothing since we last met. Would you like me to check now?" The vixen chose her words carefully.

"Yes. I enjoy seeing you at work. You have my permission to begin now." Growled the ferret.

"Yes, Master." Rei began to cast stones and feathers onto the floor of the tent. "I do not see anything yet-Oh! See these stones in this group here?" she indicated a group of multicolored pebbles.

"Yes, I see them. But what do they mean?" Marduk asked impatiently. "I don' t understand these signs."

"Of course you don't, you're a warlord not a seer. But to me, ah, it means that your prosperity lies in the village south of here, by the river." Rei explained as she picked up her various fortune-telling instruments before turning to leave.

"Oh, and one more thing," Marduk caught her attention again. "Do you think I was too hard on Amber today?"

Rei looked at him curiously, then her face hardened. "I do not. I think that you were too soft on her in fact. Insubordinate types like her are the very seeds of rebellion."

"That will be all. Thank you, Rei. That was all I needed to know." Marduk growled. "You may go now."

The vixen was happy to comply and left as quickly as she could. Marduk stayed inside and contemplated what his seer had said.

 **How did I do? I think it sucked but… meh I don't know.**


	3. Chapter 2

**I finished chapter two yaaaaay! I hope I did okay, But meh… Tell me what I could do better in the reviews please!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Redwall or Juska. Some of the characters mentioned do not belong to me.**

 **Claimer: I own all of the characters except Martin and Ruggan Bor (Who isn't in this story except for when he was mentioned in chapter 1).**

Chapter 2

Amber glanced up at the sun. It glared down at her relentlessly just as it had every other day. Today was different, though. Today she had a plan. On every one of the countless days she had been tied to the stake in the middle of camp, Marduk himself came to ask her if she was ready to pledge her loyalty. Every day she declined. _Today is different_ she told herself. An hour later, Marduk approached her with his second-in-command, Akan, right behind him.

"Are you done playing around yet?" His voice echoed in her ears. "This is a waste, you know. You could join me, and I'll forget this ever happened. You could have a good position in my horde, a better ranking. I admire your resistance, but it has gone too far to be any use. I could even promote you to second-in-command"

Amber gave a start at this, as did Akan. Marduk had bribed her with food, servants, and some positions, but they had never been nearly as high as second-in-command. He already had Akan, who was perfect, being smart enough to obey orders flawlessly, but not enough to rebel.

Marduk continued, as if his second-in-command wasn't standing right behind him. "Oh, yes, Akan has his advantages, but he's not very smart. I'd be happy to give you the position if you can kill him."

Akan became more astonished with every word, and when Marduk finished his announcement, he began to object. "But she's a girl! First mates can't be girls!"

"Who says?" Marduk inquired. "I don't remember making a rule like that. I'm the Cheiftain here right? I make the rules. So, Amber, What's your answer?"

Amber gave a stiff nod and replied "Only if you arm me."

Marduk smiled and pulled a knife from beneath his cloak. He placed it behind Amber's paws. She grabbed the knife and cut through the ropes tying her to the stake. She got into a fighting stance and looked expectantly at Marduk.

"Begin!" Amber barely heard his voice over the adrenaline coursing through her.

The adversaries circled each other, and Akan made the first move, his dagger seeking Amber's throat. Amber deflected the blow, sending the weasel off balance. She darted behind him as he regained his footing and tripped him. She stood over him, but he slashed her leg and rolled out of the way. Amber winced, but kept fighting. Another thrust to the throat. She deflected it. Akan lost his balance once again, but this time, he scooped up a handful of dust from the ground and tossed it into Amber's eyes. Her hands went to her face, rubbing the dust out. When her vision cleared, Amber looked around for her opponent. He was nowhere to be seen. Amber felt something move behind her, so she swung her footpaw out behind her, tripping the weasel. Akan grunted in surprise. Before he could even begin to get up, Amber's knife was coming down at his unprotected back. He yelped and fell back to the ground, unmoving.

Amber took a few steps back, this creature who had been alive moments before was now dead thanks to her. She had never killed anyone before. _Maybe I'm not so different from them after all…_ she thought. _No, I mustn't think like that, but I must act like it._ Forcing herself to smile, she glanced at Marduk, who nodded stiffly. He obviously hadn't expected her to come out victorious.

Amber sat in her new tent (Akan's old one) being treated for the wound on her leg. The healer, Rei's adopted sister Ebeen, wrapped bandages tightly around the cut. When she finished, she exited without a word, leaving Amber alone with her thoughts. It was late afternoon when she decided to leave the tent. As she patrolled around the camp, stretching her legs, she received looks of confusion from the horde. They all knew that she had been tied in the middle of the camp for days, but hadn't heard about the meeting and fight.

One of the more stupid vermin, a fat rat called Bluddnose approached her and snarled "Wot're yew doin' out 'ere? I thought Chief 'ad Akan tie yous in the middle of the camp!"

"I wouldn't talk to the chieftain's second-in-command like that, rat." A voice could be heard from behind Bluddnose. "It could be called insulting a major officer, a crime worthy of punishment."

Bluddnose paled and whirled around, coming face to face with Marduk. "Second-in-command? Where'd Akan go?"

"Normally I'd kill ye on the spot for questioning my word, but as none of you imbeciles know what happened today, I'll explain. I gave Amber a choice this morning. Either she could stay where she was until she rotted, or she could join me as my second-in-command by killing Akan in a duel. She, of course, chose the wiser route by joining me and she and Akan had their little duel. Obviously, as you see, Amber won." After he finished his little speech he left the area saying "Oh and Amber, meet me in my tent."

The vermin stared at Amber with whole new expressions. Akan had never been a beast to pick a fight with, and they all knew it. Amber could feel their eyes on her back as she made her way to the Chief's tent.

When she reached the tent, she ducked inside and glanced around. Rei was on the rug in the middle of the tent, with Marduk standing in the corner looking at her expectantly.

"Sit down." When Amber did so, he continued. "Since you are now my second-in-command, you have need of different tattoos. You have the customary blue dots down the front, with a red lightning bolt on both cheeks. Captains have purple dots, with lightning bolts that match the color of their eyes. Do you see the problem?"

Amber nodded. She knew these rules, as they were basic to Juska law, but she hadn't thought about the tattoos. _That explains why Rei is here, she_ _'_ _s the only one who knows how to do the tattoos._

"Good, now that that's settled, we can begin. Rei?"

The vixen nodded and opened the satchel that sat beside her on the rug.

A half hour later, Amber strode out of Marduk's tent and headed towards her own.

That night, Amber slept surprisingly well considering the day's events. She awoke to the sound of Marduk's far off voice yelling at the horde to assemble. Amber scrambled out of the bed and found where the noise was coming from. The Vermin stood in ranks behind where Marduk was pacing, as he did every time they went on a raid. Amber marched over and stood where Akan used to stand at times like this.

Marduk saw that everyone was accounted for and began to speak. "We have settled here for too long. We leave today. Our course will be set for the village by the river moss, a good three day's march from here. If you would like to object, please do so now." No one spoke. "Good. Break camp. I expect you all back here by noon, ready to go. You are dismissed."

The Juskabeasts left the area. At a nod from Marduk, Amber followed suit. Returning to her tent, she began packing. Anything that was useful went into her satchel. A cloak, some food, and the knife she had killed Akan with were among these. Three hours later she reported back to the clearing and waited for instructions. When the horde was assembled again, Marduk signaled to Amber.

She called out in her best commanding voice. "March!"

 **There it is, Chapter 2. I suck at writing what happens at Redwall** **…** **Believe me, I tried, but it sucked. I** **'** **m just going to have to focus on Amber until she gets there. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


	4. Chapter 3

**I finished chapter three yaaaay! I don't really have the time for this, but I do it anyways so enjoy it!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Redwall. It belongs/ed to Brian Jacques. I do not own Juska Either.**

 **Claimer: I own mostly everyone except Martin (who of course will appear in this story but later) and Ruggan Bor (who was mentioned in chapter 1). I own Juskubel, just not Juska.**

Chapter 3

"March!" Amber called out in her best commanding voice.

Amber was almost surprised as the horde immediately followed her order. She had been expecting that they wouldn't listen to her as she was new, but they had apparently learned from the incident the day before. The Clan marched on a small path that had been created by the foraging parties as they came in and out of the camp. Something about the place was familiar, but Amber couldn't put her paw on it. She scanned the area, hoping to see something to explain the feeling, when she saw a patch of thorny bushes. The world spun, and Amber found herself falling to the ground.

 _Amber was awakened late at night by her mother, who picked her up and began to run. Being jostled around this way was not comfortable to her, so she began to cry. vermin shouted, lighting torches and pursuing them. The path was not well made, and there were rocks poking out from the hard-packed dirt of it. Suddenly, her mother took a sharp turn and flung herself into the bushes. Amber didn't like the feeling of spinning and rolling, and was relieved when it stopped. She felt herself placed gently between two roots. A few words were spoken, but Amber couldn't understand them. The mother stepped back and turned around, walking back to the path. More words. A scream. Laughter. The sounds blended together in Amber's mind, becoming louder and louder. She set up a thin wail. The laughter stopped. There was the sound of rustling leaves getting closer and closer. A jeering face came into view. She was grabbed roughly and brought into the torchlight of the path. She saw another face. The face began to speak. The words meant nothing to her. The face slipped away and the scene faded into whiteness._

 _She found herself standing in a cavernous room made of red sandstone. A tapestry covered most of one wall. The tapestry depicted a mouse holding a magnificent sword. Vermin fled in all directions from him. Amber stared at the tapestry in awe for five minutes before she realized that the mouse was looking at her. He began to speak._

" _When hope is lost to make amends,_

 _Go to the east to find your friends_

 _Though enemies will surely follow,_

 _In misery and death they wallow._

 _Stand fast and true_

 _And they will trust you_

 _When all seems lost_

 _Follow the moss_

 _And find the ones to help you there."_

 _The mouse melted back into the tapestry and the scene once again faded._

Amber opened her eyes to jeering faces. It wasn't normal for commanding officers to faint in the middle of a march. They had obviously taken it as a sign of weakness. _I'll just have to show them it wasn't!_ Amber said to herself. Forcing the vermin off of her, she stood up and pulled out her knife. Picking out her target, she aimed and threw the knife towards where a particularly unlucky rat was standing, pinning his ear to a tree. He let out a strangled yelp, and flinched as Amber gingerly pulled the knife out. She walked away, thinking _That's better._ Taking her position, she waited for the signal and, getting it, she ordered them to move again.

Amber thought about the words that the strange mouse had spoken. They were still fresh in her mind along with the entire dream. She repeated the words under her breath.

"When hope is lost to make amends,

Go to the east to find your friends

Though enemies will surely follow,

In misery and death they wallow.

Stand fast and true

And they will trust you

When all seems lost

Follow the moss

And find the ones to help you there."

The words repeated themselves again and again in her mind, leaving her puzzled. What could it mean?

Amber was pulled out of her thoughts by the sound of rushing water. They had reached where the river Moss turned north after running west for miles. The horde began to progress alongside the water. The path began to worm around trees and bushes, staying close to the river. The foragers barely ever came out this far, and soon there would be no path at all. The trees grew larger with every mile, and they knew they had reached Mossflower wood. There was no other place with such big trees. After a mile into the forest, Marduk signaled to Amber and she ordered the horde to stop and set up camp. The sun was setting, and the vermin were eager for some rest after the long trek. They had made double time, and knew that if they did the same on the morrow, they could reach the village and have it taken by the day after. Amber set up her tent at a nod from Marduk, and was soon asleep. Late that night, she was aroused by footsteps outside the tent. She could hear a conversation, but could barely hear the words, hearing only snatches.

"Are you sure about this?"

"Yes, that weakling ain't even gonna know what hit her. Now shut up an' lissen ta me."

A long silence followed, then Amber heard the tent flap opening. She made sure she still had her knife, and feigned sleep. Footsteps could be heard, getting closer and closer. She felt something pressed to her neck. _Now!_ She said to herself, slashing out with the knife. A surprised yelp came from the form she was now beginning to make out. She stood up and grabbed it.

"Who are you and what is your business here? Tell me and I might let you live." She growled, Pushing the knife against the vermin's throat. No answer came. She pushed harder. "Tell me!"

This time, an answer came. "Why should I tell you? You's gonna kill me anyways."

"I swear that I won't kill you if you answer me truthfully. If you don't answer, you'll die anyways. I think the solution is simple here, don't you?" Amber said, putting even more pressure on the knife.

A strangled yelp followed. "I'll tell you, but get this dagger offa my neck!" the voice demanded.

Amber released him, and walked over to stand in front of the exit, with the dagger in her hand. She looked expectantly at him.

"I'm Scratch. I am one of the smarter ones who don't like you 'aving so much power." He stated.

"If you want my place, then you should know that it's open for anyone to take." She said, smiling at the surprised look on scratches face. "All you have to do is defeat me in battle. Everyone knows that. Now, leave. If this happens again, believe me, I will kill you. Just be glad I didn't this time."

The rat obliged and left without a word more. When he was gone, Amber collapsed onto the bed. This was going against her nature. She fell asleep once more.

That morning, Amber packed up and reported to Marduk, who was standing in the middle of the clearing, with about half of the clan in front of him.

He beckoned her towards him, and said under his breath, "Get these scumbags up and moving before the daylight is gone!"

"Yes chief!" she responded. Turning towards the many tents that were still up, she yelled "Report to duty all of you lazy, flea-ridden, useless lumps! It's time to move on!"

In a remarkably fast period of time, the entire clan stood ready to leave. Marduk nodded and Amber called for them to march. Nothing much happened that day, apart from the scouts finding a patch of berry bushes and bringing back three baskets of them.

When they set camp the first few houses of the village were visible through the trees, and Marduk ordered that no fires were lit or tents set up so that they wouldn't be found. They ate most of the berries and all fell asleep except for Amber, who looked up at the stars pondering the dream from the day before. She heard a rustling noise looked for the source. A young mouse poked his head out from some shrubbery. He stared around and gasped a bit too loudly, waking up a few stoats sleeping near the edge of the camp. They looked around before seeing the mouse. They smiled at each other cruelly and advanced towards him. He screamed, waking up the entire camp and most importantly, Marduk. Amber stood up and walked over to get a closer look.

"What is the meaning of this?" Marduk asked the stoats before catching a glimpse of the young mouse they were doing their best to hide. "Oh, I see. Show him to me." The three vermin grudgingly moved out of the way.

Amber approached and stood beside Marduk. He nodded to acknowledge her presence. "What do you think we should do with him?" he asked her.

 _I have to help him!_ She said to herself."I'll take him." Amber did her best to look cruel. "Save you the trouble of killing him." The mouse whimpered at this, beginning to cry.

Marduk considered the idea. "Ok. You take him. Have some fun. You've been doing well recently. Everyone else go back to sleep."

Amber smiled and laughed. "This will be fun!" she forced herself to say.

Amber dragged him into the woods. When they were a ways away from the camp, she crouched down and looked at the mouse. He looked to be around Amber's age. Not quite an adult. He stared back at her in complete terror. He had probably never seen a rat before, and obviously knew how cruel most of them were. Amber had no clue how to calm him down enough to have a civilized conversation so she just looked at him, trying not to appear intimidating. She realized that his eyes were focused on her dagger, so she pulled it out, making him gasp and scramble backwards. Amber dropped the weapon, receiving a confused look from the mouse.

Deciding that anything was better that just standing there staring, she spoke. "What is your name?" she asked.

The mouse looked at her in surprise. "A-A-Alek." He responded.

"Hello Alek, my name is Amber." She said, sitting down on a nearby rock. "You have no reason to be afraid of me. I do not intend to harm you. You must understand that that was the only way to get you out of there."

The mouse relaxed a little bit, but was not fully convinced. "Can I go home?" he asked hopefully.

"I do not know if that is a good idea. The vermin think you're dead, and if they see you during the battle, they will know that I spared you. That leaves me dead for insubordination, and I really would not prefer that." Alek's shoulders slouched. "Is there anywhere near here where you could go for help?" she asked

"The closest place is Redwall Abbey, but I've never been there. I heard it's a great big red sandstone fort or something."

Amber's eyes widened, and she asked "How would you get there?"

"Well, I don't really know for sure, I think I remember being told about it when I was very small." He seemed to trust her a bit more with every sentence.

"Could it perhaps be to the east?" Amber asked hopefully, remembering her dream.

"Yes! I think it was! I'm sure! … how would you know that?" he inquired.

"You won't believe me but I'll tell you." She told him about her dream and the words that the strange warrior mouse had spoken. When she finished she looked at Alek and said "You think I'm insane now, don't you?"

The mouse shook his head. "No, I believe you. Why did you tell me that?"

Amber shrugged. " I can't carry this secret alone. It's not so heavy now that someone else knows." Her face grew more serious. "Does anyone in your village know how to fight?" she asked. Alek shook his head. "Ok. This might be hard for you, but your village is not going to win this battle. Your best bet is to ask the Redwallers for help. I'll try to slip out of the battle and meet you at Redwall. You should head there now. Don't tell them about me. Will you do this?" Alek nodded. "Sorry about the flaws in this plan, But it's the best one I have. Go."

Alek slipped out into the night. Amber left the area with her own plans. Slipping into the village, she knocked on the door of the first house she saw. A Hedgehog answered the door a minute later, wiping sleep away from his eyes. When he realized that a rat was standing at his door, he stepped back, alarmed.

Amber put a paw to her lips. "I think you would like to know that there is a gigantic Juska clan outside your town waiting to attack in the morning. You should surrender. I am part of the clan, as you see by my tattoos. I am going to suggest that we take over the town and take you all prisoner unless you fight. Do NOT fight. That will only get you all killed. Understand?" The hedgehog nodded. "Do not cause a panic, though. Keep this quiet. You will find that a certain mouse named Alek has gone missing. He made the mistake of running right into the camp." The hedgehog gasped. "I got them to put him into my charge and they think I have killed him. I have done no such thing. I plan to slip away during the battle and meet him at Redwall to get help. Be patient. We will come. I must go now." She turned to leave.

"Wait!" Called the hedgehog. Amber turned. "Why are you helping us?"

"Because I am not like them. This is the right thing to do so I will do it." She replied before walking off into the darkness.

 **There I'm done. How was the dream/poem? This Chapter is longer than the others because I had so many ideas for it. I hope you enjoyed it!**


	5. Chapter 4

**Here it is, Chapter four. Sorry about the long break; I had a bunch of Honor band stuff going on… anyways…**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Redwall or Juska.**

 **Claimer: I own al1 the Characters Except Martin (of course).**

 **Enjoy the chapter!**

Chapter 4:

As Amber walked into the darkness, she thought about the conversation she had just had. She began to wonder how she would feel if she were in the hedgehog's place. He had never known violence, and now his hometown was being attacked by an angry horde of rats. She shook the thought out of her mind. She would have to act cruel and pitiless in the near future. Circling around the camp, she came in near where she had left to meet with Alek. Wearing a proud expression, she swaggered into the camp to the place where she had been laying. Only a few vermin were still up, so she went to sleep; feeling content with her actions.

"Up!" a voice could be heard whispering harshly. "Get up you useless tubs of lard!" Amber arose and joined Marduk in waking everybeast up. When everyone was up, Marduk began to speak in a hushed tone. "It will be time to attach soon, and we need a plan. I have not come up with a certain way to do this, but my tracker, Brang, has scouted the area. What have you found, Brang?"

A tall, skinny rat spoke up. "The village has two main entrances. One on the south side and one on the north. The best thing to do would be to surround the village with about fifty rats, evenly spaced in hiding. After these rats are positioned, two groups should charge into the town from the main entrances. After that, it should be easy enough. The town has no protection or sentries and we should be able to take them completely by surprise." When he finished his proposal, the rat nodded and stepped back.

Marduk nodded and said "A worthy plan. We'll use it. Any suggestions on how to make it better?"

Amber raised her paw. "We should only kill the ones who object to our rule. Anyone who doesn't will be a prisoner who will be useful as a slave to enlarge the town, making room for all the troops and the future Juskabeasts."

Marduk nodded. "I agree. I think we all have gathered that the citizens of the town are not used to open warfare. This invasion should be profitable and very easy. Here is the plan. We'll do as Brang says, and surround the town. Then, we'll charge it according to plan. One group will be led by Amber, and the other by me." He indicated three different groups, then indicated the smallest of the three. "You will go surround the town. Stay well hidden and within sight of each other. When you hear my signal, head towards the middle of the village. When you are ready, signal me and we will begin the charge. Go." The group dashed off into the forest. Marduk indicated the second group. "You will go to the southern entrance with Amber. When you get the signal from the surrounding forces, charge." He indicated the last group. "You will be with me. We will do the same as Amber's group except on the north side. Are we clear?" when no one answered he nodded. "Disperse."

Amber led her group around the town and to the Southern entrance. There she signaled them to lie low until the signal from the surrounding forces. Five minutes passed. Ten. Fifteen. Finally, a shrill whistle was heard and Amber charged into the town, followed by her group.

She shouted orders as she ran. "Two of you stay back and guard the exit. The rest of you, follow me. We need to get everybeast here to the center of town. Search every house thoroughly, and leave gashes on the doors of houses that have been checked!" with that, she ran into the first house.

A family of mice sat in the main room of the house, eating their breakfast. A loud noise came from the door. It fell open, and a rat stood in the doorway.

She walked in and said "Everyone out. Now." When no one responded she said "Did you hear me or not? I said get out!"

One of the mice, an adult, stood up. "Why?" He said. "Why must we leave our homes for the sake of some rat?"

Amber darted forward and grabbed the mouse by the collar of his shirt. The Mice all gasped and stared at her, terrified. Thinking better of her decision, she let go and backed away. Pulling out her dagger, she dropped it on the ground

"Look, I don't want to fight. I am in this position for reasons unknown to me, but I do know that if you don't fight, I will do everything in my power to keep you from harm. I don't want anyone to get hurt here." Amber reasoned.

The mouse kept staring at her for a minute, then nodded saying "Nicholys told us that he was warned about this attack. We believed him, but the part he said about a good rat left us confused. I assume that you are the rat he was referring to?"

Amber nodded. "If Nicholys is the hedgehog I talked to last night, then yes, I am the same rat, but I don't know if I'd call myself 'good'."

The mouse sat back down at the table. "So did you really spare Alek? And if so, why didn't you let him come home?"

Amber scratched her ears. "Yes, I did spare him. I didn't let him come home because I was supposed to kill him, and if I let him come back, Marduk would see him, which would lead to me getting killed for insubordination. I, being a rat, admit that I am pretty selfish, so I sent him to Redwall where I intend to meet him. We need to get to the center of town now. I will not be acting very pleasant, as I am second-in-command and have to order everybeast around. Sometime in the near future I will go missing. If any of you get blamed, I want you to tell them that you heard me talking to myself about deserting. I want you to tell everyone in the village this. One more thing. I will have to escort you to the center at knifepoint, and I need you to act like I conquered you. Can you do that for me? By the way, what's your name?"

"Okay, that's pretty clear. I am still not sure if I can trust you, but I will for the time being. My name is Joben, and Alek is my son. I will do what you ask if you promise me something." Joben replied.

"What do you want me to promise?" Amber inquired

"I want you to make sure nothing happens to my son. I can understand why you told him to leave, but when you find him take care of him, will you?" Joben asked

Amber nodded "Of course I will." She looked behind herself out the window. "We need to get going." She said, retrieving her knife, she gestured at the open door. "After you."

She marched them out the door, gently pushing her knife against Joben's back. She made sure not to harm him in any way, but put on a sneer so no one would know.

When they reached the town square she gently shoved Joben and his family towards the other captives with a whispered "Good luck."

 **This chapter was kind of short, but meh. I purposefully made Amber kind of awkward around goodbeasts because she is not used to talking gently or seeing their relationships with each other. It makes her feel out of place. Meh there it is. I hope you enjoyed it.**


	6. Chapter 5

**Sorry for the long wait! I haven't had any ideas in a while…**

 **Here's chapter 5 I guess… I am going to try to focus more on Alek in this chapter… I hope I do ok.**

 **Claimer: I own all the characters in this story, excluding Martin. I also own Juskubel, and the little town.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Redwall, Juska, or Mossflower.**

Chapter 5

Alek observed his surroundings as he trekked through Mossflower wood. He had never been this far away from his village before. Towering oaks blocked out most of the sunlight, and what light did reach the forest floor was greenish, making the entire area seem dreary. Soon, even though it was midsummer, Alek began to shiver. It was cold under the shade of the trees. He was starting to get tired, but didn't want to camp in the wood he was in, so he picked up his pace to find a better spot. After a while, he came to a wide path where he could look one way and see the River Moss or the other way to see the path lead straight out of his line of vision. This place looked much better to camp, so he crossed the path and found a concealed pace between two trees, with thorn bushes covering the other two sides. There was a small opening in one corner, so he squirmed inside and lay curled up, hugging his knees. He had no bedding or covers, but luckily the area did not have too much shade, so it was not too cold. He was exhausted and fell asleep almost immediately.

Alek awoke to birdsong. It was midday, and he reprimanded himself for sleeping in so late. When he managed to wriggle out of the little area, he began to think about how long it might take him to get to Redwall. If he remembered correctly, the path he was on led straight to Redwall. _Okay, so I guess all I have to do is head down this path,_ He thought. Walking down the path, he began to wonder how he would have enough food for his journey. The answer soon presented itself, when he saw a blackberry bush beside the path. He had a satchel around his waist, so he filled it with blackberries, making sure to leave a little extra room in case he found anything else useful. After walking for a few more hours, he heard voices coming up the path. He quickly dove off the path and hid, not wanting to be seen.

Alek watched from his hidden spot as an otter and a mouse walked leisurely up the path. They both wore habits and immediately Alek recognized them as Redwallers. He ran out onto the path.

"Oh!? Who are you?" The otter asked Alek

"My name is Alek" Alek replied "I need to get to Redwall."

"Oh, then you should follow us. I'm Rachel, and this otter is Ballanaw, but you can call him Skipper." The mouse said. "Follow us; Redwall is not far from here.

Alek nodded and walked beside the two.

"So, why do you need to get to Redwall?" Skipper asked.

"It's a long story, so I'll summarize it. My home village is under attack by a clan of Juska vermin, and I need help." Alek replied.

"Oh… Then we should probably hurry! Abbot Fredek will want to know about this!" Rachel exclaimed. She sounded a bit worried.

They picked up their pace and hurried down the path. Five minutes later, Alek could see the battlements of Redwall Abbey rising above the trees. When they reached the Abbey, the sun was about to set. The group stopped in front of the front gate.

"Hello, up there, Is there anyone here to let two poor abbeybeasts and their guest in?" Skipper called out.

A latch could be heard being drawn on the other side of the door. An old mouse opened the door, and smiled at the three on the other side.

"Come in here, young-uns, It's just time for dinner, and you've been out all day!" The old mouse smiled as they walked past, and then shut the door behind them.

The old mouse joined them in walking towards the main building and introduced himself to Alek.

"My name is Joben, and who do I have the honor of addressing?" He asked.

"I'm Alek." Alek responded. He had just realized how tired he was and his paws were starting to drag as he walked.

Skipper seemed to notice this and said "You must be tired after your journey here. Let's take you to the dormitories. We can talk over your predicament in the morning."

Alek nodded gratefully at the otter. "Thank you."

The rest of the night passed in a blur, and Alek vaguely remembered being led into a room with many beds in it.

…..

Alek opened his eyes to bright light streaming in through a window by his bed. For A half second he wondered where he was. Then he remembered the events of the day before. He decided to get up and look around, but before he could do so, a loud cry came up the hall. A mouse he didn't recognize was leading a small squirrel into the room. The squirrel seemed to have scraped his paw while playing, and the mouse was doing the best she could to calm him down. She ended up giving him a candied chestnut to eat while she bandaged the small scratch on his paw. Afterwards she patted him on the back and gently pushed him out the door.

She turned to Alek. "I see that you're finally up!" she said cheerfully. "You must've been exhausted, you've been asleep since you arrived two days ago!"

Alek's eyes widened at this. "Two days? I've been asleep for two days?!"

The mouse nodded solemnly. "We were starting to get a little worried. Rachel will be glad to hear that you're up. I think that's her coming right now!" she said as footsteps came up the hall.

Rachel poked her head in the room, which Alek had just recognized as an infirmary, and, realizing he was awake, stepped in. "Was that Forrest who just ran by me down the hall? He almost gave me a heart attack!"

"Yes, it was. He tried climbing the wall again and of course he fell off."

Rachel laughed. "We really need to get him to stop doing that! He's going to seriously injure himself some day!"

"I don't know if there is a way! He is a squirrel after all."

"Well, I guess you're right, Sister Clementine." Rachel said. "You should probably go relax, I know looking after a dibbun like Forrest is tiring! I'll attend any more injuries; I need to talk with Alek anyways."

"Thank you! It's almost lunch, so I think I'll go see if I can help in the kitchens." Sister Clementine left the room, leaving Alek alone with Rachel.

Rachel shifted her attention to Alek. "Are you feeling better?" She asked "When you arrived you immediately collapsed onto the bed and we've been worried."

"I feel much better now, thank you." Alek replied.

"Oh! That's good!" Rachel exclaimed. "Would you like to go on a walk? I can show you around the abbey. I'm sure that being asleep for two days would leave you with a lot of energy."

Alek nodded. "That sounds good."

He stood up, and Rachel joined him. They walked out the doorway of the infirmary and into the hall. As they walked, Rachel pointed out certain things in the abbey, and Alek was content just to listen silently. After a while, the two bells in the bell tower began to ring, and Rachel led Alek to the orchards. Set up in the orchards were many tables with chairs on either side. Abbeybeasts were seating themselves and chattering to their friends. Alek followed Rachel to a place near the head of the table where she showed him where to sit. An older mouse (who Alek later learned was abbot Fredek) sat down at the head, and Ballanaw also sat nearby. Over the course of the meal, Alek unfolded the story of what happened at his village. He left out the part about Amber, simply saying that he managed to escape the vermin instead.

At the end of his story, the abbot said "We will help if we can, by all means."

Alek looked relieved and relaxed in his seat. Then he remembered that Amber had said to wait for her. He looked up and replied "Thank you, but before we do anything, there's someone I have to wait for.

…

Amber gazed out across the group of terrified goodbeasts, feeling disgusted that she had taken part in capturing them. Her emotions were unknown to anyone else as she watched. Marduk was giving some sort of speech, but she couldn't hear him. She was more focused on the looks of hatred from some of the villagers. Marduk seemed to have finished his speech off, giving orders to the horde to take the villagers away. Marduk left the area, and Amber followed. It was late afternoon by now, the invasion having taken most of the day, and Marduk's orders were to patrol for an hour then sleep.

After her patrol, Amber sneaked over to where the villagers were being held, effectively knocking the guards unconscious, she crept around the area, being watched intently by the goodbeasts. She found Joben and his family, so she went to talk to him. Everyone around them scooted backwards.

Amber crouched down and whispered "Are any of you hurt?" Joben shook his head. "Good. I am leaving tonight. I cannot take you all with me, but if there is anyone you think should be clear of this place before tomorrow, then I will take them with me. You have no reason to trust me, and I understand if you would rather all stay here, but I decided to ask just in case."

Joben whispered back "I do not think that anyone else here trusts you, but I will. I need to talk to my family about this."

Amber nodded and walked a short distance away, watching them talk. Joben beckoned her back a few minutes later.

"Will you take my daughter with you? Her name is Mallory and she is too young to come into contact with these vermin. If Alek is at Redwall, then that is also the best place for her." Joben said.

Amber nodded, surprised. She really hadn't expected anyone there to trust her, but she held out her paw to the young mouse as she walked silently out of the area.

Mallory hesitantly took Amber's paw, and with a whispered "'bye" to her parents, they made their way to Amber's tent.

When they reached it, Mallory looked up at Amber inquisitively. "Why do the bad rats want to hurt us? I asked Daddy but he said he didn't know."

Amber thought for a second. "I don't really know either."

After she finished packing, she held out her paw to Mallory, who once again took it. Then they set off into the dark night.

 **There's that… Again, sorry for the long wait.**


	7. Chapter 6

**Claimer: I own all the characters in my story except Martin.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Redwall, Martin, Juska, or Mossflower.**

 **So yeah, Here's This.**

 **Chapter 6**

Amber set off from the camp at a brisk pace, with Mallory behind her doing her best to keep up. She should have realized that the small mouse would not make it very far at their current speed, but had been too caught up in escaping to give it any thought, After two hours, Mallory collapsed from sheer exhaustion. Amber, who was used to long exercise, scolded herself for assuming the same about Mallory. She knew they were still too close to the vermin camp to settle down for the night, so she picked Mallory up and kept moving.

After three more hours, Amber realized that she could not go on any longer, so she found the nearest tree and climbed up onto a thick branch that would serve as a place to camp. Mallory, who had fallen asleep immediately when amber had began to carry her, opened her eyes and looked around drowsily. She managed to keep her eyes open long enough for Amber to give her some food, then snuggled up right next to Amber and fell back asleep. Amber watched Mallory's chest rise and fall for a while, then decided to get some sleep herself.

Amber was awoken by the sound of loud voices drifting through the trees. The harsh edges of the words were enough to tell her that this was a group of vermin. She panicked and was about to jump out of the tree to flee when Mallory stirred beside her. Amber thought on what to do. She knew she wouldn't be ready fast enough to get away with Mallory, so she had two choices. _I can either leave Mallory here and save myself, or stay with her and hope we won't be seen._ She had made her decision before she could even think about it. She was _not_ going to leave Mallory to fend for herself. She gently shook Mallory's shoulder to wake her. Amber put a paw to her mouth, telling her to be quiet, and pointed down at the vermin. Mallory's eyes widened and she nodded. The two of them backed up to where the tree branch met the trunk, and held their breath. Instead of passing the tree, the vermin made camp right next to it. Amber decided to wait until they were all asleep and then climb down the tree and slip away, but there were two sentries at the edge of the camp the other ten in the group fell asleep. Mentally screaming at herself, she realized that she was going to have to wait for them to leave.

…

The vermin stayed there for many hours, and there was always a guard standing watch. They seemed to be expecting something, as the guards were always completely timid and alert, unlike the droopy eyed slacking vermin that normally stood guard in any camp. Amber had begun to fall asleep again when the guards began waking the others. She watched as the group picked up their belongings and dashed out of the area, with two of them covering their tracks in the back.

Mallory had seen this unfold, and she, like any young one, had a question. "Why did the rats leave so quick?"

Amber shrugged, having no idea whatsoever. She was about to climb down the tree and investigate when somebeast leapt into view below the tree she and Mallory were in. The creature stood up and dusted its coat off. Looking around, it seemed to be searching for something. Only then did Amber realize that this was a hare.

The hare wore a red tunic with an embroidered belt wrapped around it. Attached to the belt were a dirk and a sling. He had golden fur, and his ears stood straight up. The hare signaled to someone Amber could not see and two more hares bounded into view. They were dressed similarly to the other, but one carried a rapier and the other sported a small knife and a bow with a quiver.

The first hare turned to the others. "Where've those flippen' vermin got to, I wonder. Wot, Wot?"

The hare with the rapier poked at the one with the bow and said "I bet Lid scared 'em off when they got one look at her ugly mug!"

The hare with the dirk glared at both of the other two. "You two better stop messing around an' stand to attention, or I'll send you both back to Salamandastron." Both of them stood up straight and saluted immediately. "Much better. Now, we need to scout this area to find out where those bloody vermin got to, Wot, wot!

The other hares nodded and bounded away. As they left the area, Amber could have sworn that she had made eye contact with on of them, but it must have been a trick of the light, because the hare had no reaction to it.

Some time later, the hares regrouped, and a whispered conversation was held. Then they left the area again, and before Amber knew it, her tree was surrounded by the three hares.

One of them shouted up at her. "We know you're up there, so why dontcha come down here, Wot, Wot?"

Amber sighed and picked up Mallory, Climbing one-armed down the trunk of the tree.

The hares had obviously not been expecting her to comply, and just stared at her.

Mallory began to wiggle around. "Can you put me down onna gwound now?"

Amber nodded, setting the small mouse on the leafy floor. Mallory's small paw grabbed hers again, which made the hares even more confused.

Mallory seemed to be getting annoyed at the uncomfortable stares and complained about it. "My daddy says it's rude if you don't intwoduce yoursewf when you meet sombeast new." When she didn't get an answer, she sighed. "I guess I haff to intwoduce us then. I'm Mawowy, and dissa Ambow."

The Hare with the dirk stepped forward. "Well, I can't argue with that logic, wot, wot? This here's Lidya," he indicated the hare with the bow, "this is Summer," he pointed at the hare with the rapier, "and I'm Casey."

He smiled at Mallory, who smiled back, but when he looked at Amber, it was obvious that he didn't trust her.

Well, we've been goin' all day, and I think we're gonna stay the night here. Would you like to join us?" Casey asked.

Mallory was delighted. "Yeah! Can we Ambow, pwease?"

Amber thought about it. "I guess so… but we need to leave first thing in the morning, or we might not be there in time."

….

After a while, a fire had been lit, and Mallory was asleep. The hares all looked at Amber, making her feel awkward.

Summer ended the silence. "Amber, would you take a walk with me?"

Amber nodded and stood up, following Summer away from the camp. She trusted the hares enough to watch Mallory.

Summer and Amber walked in silence until Summer once again broke the silence. "How did you end up with Mallory? I've never known rats to care for anyone except themselves, but she acts like you've been taking very good care of her. Where are you headed anyways?"

Amber sighed. "It's a long story."

 **There I finished it… I've been putting this off for way too long… Expect another chapter pretty soon because I feel bad about that. Also, someone mentioned to me that Alek was asleep at Redwall for two days, and that from when she left, she would get there before he woke up. So I fixed it. Yay! Delays, delays, and what's that? More delays!**

… **I'm going to sleep now…**


	8. Chapter 7

**Yay! Another chapter!**

 **Claimer: I own all of characters in this story except martin the warrior.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Juska, Mossflower, Salamandastron, Martin the Warrior or Redwall.**

 **Chapter 7**

"It's a long story…" Amber walked over to a tree and slid into a sitting position against it.

"We have all night. I don't think you plan on going to sleep anytime soon, do you, wot,wot?" Summer said.

Amber sighed. "Well, I guess I've got nothing else to do. But... I don't even know where to start!"

Summer wished she could sit down next to Amber, but she knew she shouldn't trust the rat. "Just start from the beginning."

Amber hesitantly began to tell her story. "I was born into a Juska clan called Juskubel. My mother, Elysia, didn't want me to grow up with the vermin. She knew I could be better than them. So, she took me away from the camp and ran. I don't really remember much, but I do remember the rest of the clan shouting and running behind us. My mother knew she couldn't get away, so she hid me under a tree and confronted them. If you don't already know, Juskabeasts are merciless. After they finished with her, they began to walk back to camp, but I started crying. Marduk, the leader of the clan, sent them to find me. They brought me back to the camp. I grew up there, and mostly tried to stay out of the way. I knew I didn't belong with the vermin but where was I to go if I even managed to get away?

"On one of the days when I was supposed to be on fishing duty, I decided to stay back from the group and get out of my job. After a while, Marduk called me back into camp. He was furious at me for not following his orders. I was bound to a stake in the camp for many days. Every day, Marduk himself came out to see if I was ready to listen to him. Every day I refused. He began to bribe me. Still I refused. After weeks of the same treatment, he came with a different proposal. If I could kill the Second-in-command, Akan, in combat, I could have his position. It surprised me. I accepted, On the terms that he would arm me. So, I fought Akan. I won… Marduk had obviously not expected me to win. After a few days we marched out of the camp for the first time in many years, abandoning it. We were headed towards a small village, which Marduk intended on conquering. After the first few hours of marching, I fainted. While I was unconscious, I had a dream. I will elaborate on it later. The important thing to know is that in the dream, I saw a mouse. He told me to go to Redwall, which I didn't know about then, but now I do.

"I woke to the sneering faces of my clanmates, so I got up, and ordered them to continue marching. When we arrived in a clearing near the village, we made camp, and while I tried to fall asleep, I noticed something. A mouse. He was about my age, and he was probably exploring. Anyways, when he saw us, he gasped, waking a few vermin up. They began to taunt him, which woke Marduk. I knew that if I didn't do anything, that mouse wasn't going to live until the next day. I asked Marduk if I could take him. He seemed to be happy that I offered, and let me take him. I had to drag him into the woods. When I got him out of earshot of the camp, I was able to calm him down. I told him about my dream, and he believed me. He told me about Redwall and I told him to meet me there. He asked if he could return to his parents instead but I wouldn't let him. I told him that it was safer away from there and that if the vermin saw him I would get blamed for not killing him. I promised to warn the village about the attack. I was true to my word and did so. During the attack the next day, I managed to find his family and-"

"Whose family?" Summer interjected.

"The mouse's. Alek's." Amber said. "Sorry about that… Anyways, I talked to Alek's family. None of the goodbeasts in the village put up a fight, so the attack was over and the villagers captured very quickly. That night, I went to where they were being kept prisoner. I spoke again with Alek's family. I asked them if there was anything they wanted me to take to Redwall. They told me to take Mallory. I wasn't sure if they should trust me with her, but seeing as she was the youngest person in the village, I understood why they wanted her to be somewhere else. I took Mallory and left the village with her. You know the rest."

Summer was surprised at Amber's story. The two walked back to the camp in silence, an upon reaching it, Amber found that she was exhausted from telling her story. She went to sleep, curled up next to Mallory. Amber's story kept Summer up, so she decided to tell her two companions. She roused them and related the tale.

...

That morning, Summer woke Amber, who in turn tried to wake Mallory, but she refused to get up. Amber sighed and picked her up.

Lid and Casey had packed up, and stood ready to move out. The odd group just stood there, waiting to see who left first.

Lid, not being one for long silences, spoke up. "Amber, We're bally well headed to Redwall just like you. D'you want to travel with us? Wot, wot?"

Amber wondered for half a second how Lid knew where she was headed, but then realized that Summer would've told them about her story. "I guess so… I'm honestly not sure how to get there, and I'm sure Mallory would like some company other than me."

The group walked in silence for a while, and Amber noticed the awkward glances shared by the three hares.

"You want to know about my dream, don't you?" Amber asked.

Casey nodded. "You bally well read our minds, old gel!"

Amber sighed. "You probably won't believe me, but I'll tell you." She told them of her dream.

When she finished, The hares stared at her.

Mallory, who had just woken up, cut the silence short. "Are we there yet?" She asked.

Amber shook her head. "No, not yet."

Mallory frowned. "I wanna walk now. Can you put me down?"

Amber nodded and set her on the ground. Taking the paw that reached out towards hers, she continued walking. They walked in silence until sunset, when Mallory had an announcement.

"I'm tired." She said.

Amber laughed. "Looks like someone here knows exactly what she wants when she wants it."

They set up camp in a small clearing. Mallory fell asleep instantly. Amber and the hares stayed up talking for a while.

After some aimless banter, Casey asked "Amber, could you repeat that bally poem again? It keeps slipping from my mind, wot, wot?"

Amber nodded. "Okay…

"When hope is lost to make amends,

Go to the east to find your friends

Though enemies will surely follow,

In misery and death they wallow.

Stand fast and true

And they will trust you

When all seems lost

Follow the moss

And find the ones to help you there."

"Well all that tells us is that we need to get to Redwall. Bloody poem's useless if you ask me." Lid said.

"I bally well agree with you, Lid. Wot, wot?" said Casey.

"Well you lot can talk about that poem all night if you want to, I'm going to sleep." Muttered Summer, shifting to a more comfortable position.

"I'm going to sleep too." Amber agreed.

 **There's that, I hope you enjoyed it. I have a question and I don't know if this is the right place to ask this but… Should I do more frequent shorter chapters or longer ones that will take a while? I guess you can just answer in the reviews or something…**


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